Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Theory of Indian Management and Indian Theory of Management
My initial comments at the brainstorming session on emerging areas for research in Management at the Centre for Educational and Social Studies (CESS) Nagarbhavi Bangalore on 1st of Dec 2018
Good afternoon Friends,
I am delighted to be here and am grateful to Dr Sridhar and Professor Gowrisha who have permitted me to share my thoughts. In the day before yesterday’s ‘Deccan Herald’ there is an article with a very arresting title ‘MBA, in its current form, is dead’. Of the two quotes in this article, one is from Google founder Larry Page who felt the way MBA’s approach business is ‘stupid’. Pay Pal Owner Peter Thiel has said he found MBA’s ‘highly extroverted people with low conviction’ and with ‘extremely herd-like thinking and behaviour’ While the need for better research is universal, I think it is critical for the long-term survival of management education in India. MBA can survive only when we have more meaningful research. It is strange and not a nice thing to say, however, the fact is I have met faculty members and researchers pursuing PhD programs who are not clear about the fact that theory is nothing but practice or practical applications that have been researched.
Today industry does not have any respect for management researchers, sadly, neither does society in general, or Government. I think there is a great potential to earn the respect of all these groups if only research was focused on solving real-world problems. We need to make the research relevant and rigorous at the same time. I think we must not restrict our research to ‘Business management’ and use the broader expression of ‘Management’ which will include many other sectors including government where research can provide some high impact answers.
This DH article I mentioned uses the term ‘physics envy’ to describe one of the problems with Management research. Physics envy for those who might not have heard the expression is the over-concentration on statistical tools, mathematical models or rigour of research in general. Initially Business education was designed to be only practical, however, around 1959 two reports called the Ford and Carnegie reports found that business education was not grounded in scientific methods. Thanks to these reports all management research has been focusing on the rigour of research that everything else is forgotten. This is a western problem which we have embraced in India also. We must understand that most reputed journals are of western origin and they have those templates. In India also all the top ranking B schools employ professors who have been educated in the western world with those methods. While we must respect western education for many wonderful things, we must recognize that it may not be most useful for us now. What we need is research that fits with our ethos, culture, social system, history and present economic situation. The difficulty for many great researchers is that while they want to be locally relevant, they also want publication in reputed International journals which evaluate articles with western frameworks. The gap between India’s economic reality and Management research is really wide in my opinion.
Theory of Indian Management and Indian theory of Management are both urgently needed. I borrowed this expression from a Chinese article which discusses management research in China as they have been at these crossroads a decade ago. What I mean by theory of Indian Management is to use universal models or western frameworks to research Indian organizations and come up with findings useful to Indian organizations. Indian theory of management will be the result of research using Indian frameworks and paradigms. The sources for such constructs will be 1. Scriptures/History, for example, Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana etc. Gurucharan das has explored the concept of Dharma in his book ‘the difficulty of being good’ to some extent. I think exploring the concept of Dharma in Business decision making, for example, is an opportunity. 2. Indian Practices – Partha system, Bargaining, the hierarchy in Indian business families are some examples. The 3. Source of such themes could be what is happening around us like demonetization, technology adoption leapfrogging etc. It should not be some nostalgic research, it should be aimed at solving current problems even if we are using ancient wisdom.
The challenge for such type of research is that publication may become difficultly unless we have very good and respected journals who have strict quality parameters and yet encourage a different way of thinking. When we are thinking about the Indian theory of management, we need to start with Qualitative studies and only later move to Quantitative or other approaches.
Management research can learn a lot from ‘Ayurveda’. Ayurveda was not respected in India for a long time, however, the effectiveness of this type of medicine has been proven using western methods or frameworks and this has helped Ayurveda to become a respected therapy even in the western world.
In my understanding, the first thing we need to do is to expose our researchers to management books written by Indian practitioners, for example, Bangalore based Dr.Subhash Sharma, marketing researcher Rama Bijapurkar, Gopalakrishnan of Tata sons and even Abhijit Bhaduri’s Digital Tsunami. I have a colleague who is working on converting some old books, Subroto Bagchi’s– Professional and Gopalakrishnan’s ‘‘As the penny drops’ into a workshop because these are very useful and essential for every Indian business student, which sadly do not figure in any syllabus.
The thought I want to leave behind is that we need to move to research whether abstract, empirical or practical which is rooted in the Indian context. I am sure there are many many possibilities, however, just as an example I would like to share some topics/areas
1. International trade analytics to explore global market opportunities for specific Indian products
2. Is Partha system really effective to manage a multi-locational business?
3. Understanding personality and ‘Vishnu Padam’ – the traditional game
4. Is there a western way and Indian way to manage senior citizens and which is more effective?
5. How technology brings transparency or not in public distribution or procurement
6. Local, regional, national and International brands- the long-term / or is industry consolidation always possible?
7. Are Indian women more suited for the gig economy and why has it not arrived etc. etc.
In my opinion CESS should consider the broader expression of 'management' and have government, public institutions as clients for research. The need to orient faculty and build their capacity to do India oriented research is a felt need that CESS can address.
Thursday, July 5, 2018
For young teachers - A talk that was not :(
At Inurture Education, a company I work in, like every year, a group of 25 young graduates from premier engineering institutions were recruited on campus to be trained in latest technologies like machine learning/ IOT/ AI and such topics, only to be deployed as faculty members to teach in undergraduate engineering programs. After a month long immersion, they were to visit the office, and I offered to be a filler and speak to them about being a teacher. Sadly the corporate honcho's took more time than planned, and my talk got the axe ! Next best thing was to lean on my support and strength, my blog audience! The topic was 'on being a teacher' and my plan was to restrict my talk to a list of 10 points to remember.
Be Yourself : It is important for teachers to be comfortable in their shoes and tying to be someone they are not is not only a difficult act, it shows in the class, where you are scrutinized, judged, loved, hated, forgiven and so much more all at the same time.
Know your Students: Knowing is essential, though loving them will be really good. The background of the student, present knowledge of the subject, interests, world view, friends and more will help improve the quality of teaching manifold and improve the relationship too.
Be at Teacher; Understand the difference between knowing to be a teacher, which your faculty development program has taught you, Doing the work of a teacher, which is about taking classes, assessments and all that, and being a teacher , which is thinking, behaving, living the life of a teacher. All of us can remember teachers who fit into each category, and obviously the most effective and loved are those who were teachers inside and out.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare - What that also includes is research which is major component of preparation, as are pedagogy, board plan, teaching aids etc. The more one prepares the more effective the class and better learning outcomes, this is definite.
Start from where majority of students already know. Many times, the curriculum/syllabus is so much emphasized that we forget that the starting point for knowledge transfer is to understand precisely what the students currently know.
Retool yourself both about domain knowledge and about teaching- Post google teaching is so different as is International Business after Donald Trump. We need to learn skills and knowledge the is recent and relevant. Change is a constant and adapting is the only acceptable response.
Get Feedback both from students and colleagues. We should know what works and does not in a classroom. This again keeps changing so it is important to get feedback about content, teaching method, evaluations, the black board at the end of the class....everything!
Reflection is unfortunately becoming a lost art with the emphasis on speed in most spheres of our lives, however for teachers, it is critical tool, actually much more than a tool. Find time to reflect about everything. I believe teachers can contribute more to the world and to their students if they find time to reflect to improve creativity, become more aware of oneself and emotionally intelligent.
Connect to the life of the student: Teaching will be most effective when the learner is immersed in the process and has motivation. It is essential for teachers to connect the subject to the life of the student. This should happen in every class to improve the learning outcomes.
and finally
Spread energy and happiness in the classroom. There is so much negativity around that teachers can be that whiff of fresh air and infuse energy among students by being teachers who are energetic, cool, happy and relaxed. It is an important function of being a teacher to spread happiness , joy and energy.
My best wishes to all the young first time teachers and do hope you have a wonderful journey of touching the lives of many individuals !
Be Yourself : It is important for teachers to be comfortable in their shoes and tying to be someone they are not is not only a difficult act, it shows in the class, where you are scrutinized, judged, loved, hated, forgiven and so much more all at the same time.
Know your Students: Knowing is essential, though loving them will be really good. The background of the student, present knowledge of the subject, interests, world view, friends and more will help improve the quality of teaching manifold and improve the relationship too.
Be at Teacher; Understand the difference between knowing to be a teacher, which your faculty development program has taught you, Doing the work of a teacher, which is about taking classes, assessments and all that, and being a teacher , which is thinking, behaving, living the life of a teacher. All of us can remember teachers who fit into each category, and obviously the most effective and loved are those who were teachers inside and out.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare - What that also includes is research which is major component of preparation, as are pedagogy, board plan, teaching aids etc. The more one prepares the more effective the class and better learning outcomes, this is definite.
Start from where majority of students already know. Many times, the curriculum/syllabus is so much emphasized that we forget that the starting point for knowledge transfer is to understand precisely what the students currently know.
Retool yourself both about domain knowledge and about teaching- Post google teaching is so different as is International Business after Donald Trump. We need to learn skills and knowledge the is recent and relevant. Change is a constant and adapting is the only acceptable response.
Get Feedback both from students and colleagues. We should know what works and does not in a classroom. This again keeps changing so it is important to get feedback about content, teaching method, evaluations, the black board at the end of the class....everything!
Reflection is unfortunately becoming a lost art with the emphasis on speed in most spheres of our lives, however for teachers, it is critical tool, actually much more than a tool. Find time to reflect about everything. I believe teachers can contribute more to the world and to their students if they find time to reflect to improve creativity, become more aware of oneself and emotionally intelligent.
Connect to the life of the student: Teaching will be most effective when the learner is immersed in the process and has motivation. It is essential for teachers to connect the subject to the life of the student. This should happen in every class to improve the learning outcomes.
and finally
Spread energy and happiness in the classroom. There is so much negativity around that teachers can be that whiff of fresh air and infuse energy among students by being teachers who are energetic, cool, happy and relaxed. It is an important function of being a teacher to spread happiness , joy and energy.
My best wishes to all the young first time teachers and do hope you have a wonderful journey of touching the lives of many individuals !
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
A good guest faculty
Dear Guest Faculty,
Whether it is just one lecture or an assignment to teach a subject through the semester, please take time to prepare well. Most guest faculty are experts in the field and need little or no preparation in terms of the essential content, as they are practicing what needs to be taught.
In my experience, the greatest issue with guest faculty is their lack of understanding of the audience of students. And students will be students! The students in a Tier 1 institute are very different from students in a tier 2 & 3 colleges. This is very important and not to be taken lightly. Pitch high and comprehension will be zero, pitch low, and no one is interested. Students of today are quite different from the obedient, eager to learn, submissive bunch that existed in earlier days. The ability to switch off with a click of the mental switch and just escape are well honed skills. It is essential to understand what the background of the students is, their previous knowledge level as far as the subject/topic is concerned etc. My suggestion is to meet the students informally before the first session. Also important to have a brief idea about what has been done in class about the particular topic/subject.
Many of you have a wealth of experience stored in bytes of 'anecdotes'. These are fun to hear and provide the much needed practical orientation, however, when the underlying theoretical concept/frame work is not discussed, many find the connect difficult and end up enjoying the class without actually 'learning'. The other issue with anecdotes is that a series of anecdotes does not make for good structure. In the classroom, best is to have a good structure which includes an introduction, theoretical underpinnings, examples, conclusion, summary or any other logical structure. Once you are familiar with the specific class/batch, prioritization, weight-age for components and even the structure becomes easy to plan.
Many classrooms might not have the technologies or teaching aids you want to use. Check this aspect thoroughly. Many a lecture where the video was critical, have been a wash out for this reason. Similarly, projectors might not be compatible with 'apple' or HD etc. so visiting the place is a good idea and finding out is the next best thing.
Please make sure everyone is able to hear you. It is your responsibility. Ask for a mike, increase speaker volume or do whatever it takes to ensure you are heard. I know you feel this is the responsibility of the school, however, in many instances you will have to take the lead.
Your corporate responsibilities might keep getting you late to class or miss a few, please consider realistically if you can really spare the time and plan the time well.
Did I miss something? Do share your experiences and help others who have been invited.
Happy lecturing, Don't get too good at it and snatch our livelihood :)
Best Regards
gps
Whether it is just one lecture or an assignment to teach a subject through the semester, please take time to prepare well. Most guest faculty are experts in the field and need little or no preparation in terms of the essential content, as they are practicing what needs to be taught.
In my experience, the greatest issue with guest faculty is their lack of understanding of the audience of students. And students will be students! The students in a Tier 1 institute are very different from students in a tier 2 & 3 colleges. This is very important and not to be taken lightly. Pitch high and comprehension will be zero, pitch low, and no one is interested. Students of today are quite different from the obedient, eager to learn, submissive bunch that existed in earlier days. The ability to switch off with a click of the mental switch and just escape are well honed skills. It is essential to understand what the background of the students is, their previous knowledge level as far as the subject/topic is concerned etc. My suggestion is to meet the students informally before the first session. Also important to have a brief idea about what has been done in class about the particular topic/subject.
Many of you have a wealth of experience stored in bytes of 'anecdotes'. These are fun to hear and provide the much needed practical orientation, however, when the underlying theoretical concept/frame work is not discussed, many find the connect difficult and end up enjoying the class without actually 'learning'. The other issue with anecdotes is that a series of anecdotes does not make for good structure. In the classroom, best is to have a good structure which includes an introduction, theoretical underpinnings, examples, conclusion, summary or any other logical structure. Once you are familiar with the specific class/batch, prioritization, weight-age for components and even the structure becomes easy to plan.
Many classrooms might not have the technologies or teaching aids you want to use. Check this aspect thoroughly. Many a lecture where the video was critical, have been a wash out for this reason. Similarly, projectors might not be compatible with 'apple' or HD etc. so visiting the place is a good idea and finding out is the next best thing.
Please make sure everyone is able to hear you. It is your responsibility. Ask for a mike, increase speaker volume or do whatever it takes to ensure you are heard. I know you feel this is the responsibility of the school, however, in many instances you will have to take the lead.
Your corporate responsibilities might keep getting you late to class or miss a few, please consider realistically if you can really spare the time and plan the time well.
Did I miss something? Do share your experiences and help others who have been invited.
Happy lecturing, Don't get too good at it and snatch our livelihood :)
Best Regards
gps
Saturday, July 30, 2016
MBA Projects - Different types;different learning opportunities
Usually the MBA dissertation involves a empirical study where great emphasis is placed on the rigor of the research methodology, data collection and data analysis. There are different types of projects which are part of various MBA programs and offering students a choice in selecting what is appropriate for them is always a good idea. These projects might not perfectly fit what is expected as a dissertation, however they are valuable learning opportunities which will be useful as options for a term project or a mini project. The challenge for large Indian public universities however is evaluating them all on a equal footing when different students pick different types of project within one cohort. This calls for substantial training of evaluators.
The various types of projects can be listed as
The various types of projects can be listed as
1. Business Process Optimization/simplification
2. Business Model of the Organization
with
a detailed study of each of the components. Tools like the Business model
canvas/value chain analysis can be used. Description of the various components
of the organization's business model in students own words after gathering
secondary data and primary data from interviews with executives and customers
etc. Comparison with other players in the industry will be useful as well as
any history of the development of the model (how it has changed over time)
3. Executive Shadowing Report
Role,
responsibilities, background, Observations, interview, reflection etc apart
from Company/department background.This study will involve shadowing 2 or 3
executives in one organization over a period of 30 days. This means observing
the executive at work, seeking information about the topics of interest to the
student with a plan for observation and Questions to ask for each day. A
specific theme based on any specific management topic can be chosen based on
the Manager/Executive being shadowed and the organization. The objective is to understand
the manager’s mindset and practical aspects of day to day business.
4. Digital transformation
Study potential
for a process/business to become digital with cost/benefit analysis or study
the process/challenges of digital transformation in an organization.
5. Benchmarking studies
One
or more areas are chosen and the current practices/policies in the organization are
studied. Best Practices (from published sources or based on a primary survey
within the industry to find best practices) are compared with the organization's practices and suggestions provided in the context of the organization.
6. Demand forecasting studies
Using a
combination of trend plotting and industry analysis.When
sales data of the organization is shared and industry data and trends are
available, studies about shifts in customer wants for the particular category
are accessible, then this type of study can be taken up. This should include
industry analysis, industry trends, industry sales and projections,
organization and its sales, sales forecasts using all the available data/trends.
7. Competitive analysis ( Marketing, HR,
Supply chain )
This
is making a competitive analysis or a comparative study of a few players within
the same industry as the organization in which student is doing the project.
For example ‘Compensation and benefits for nurses among corporate hospitals in
Bangalore’ ‘Employer branding – Comparison of Wipro with Infosys’, ‘Promotion
strategies to market 4G data plans – Competitive analysis’
8. NGO diary
A daily report on working
with a NGO including NGO profile, reflections, and contributions.This is similar to the Job shadowing
except that it should include discussion about the cause the NGO is working for
and the contribution of the student to the NGO during the project . Ideally a
management aspect should be considered for tasks/work to be done at the NGO.
9. Innovation Journey
Tracking how an
innovation idea (product/service/process)was germinated to its full scale implemented and results
thereof within an organization.
10.Case
Study
A Case
study about a situation in a firm/industry. SWIF i.e Student Written Instructor Facilitated Cases are a fun and interesting learning option that add significant academic value as they can be published and help other learners. Dr.Paul Michael Swiercz's guide to SWIF case writing is a invaluable starting point for such cases. Planned interviews with Business Executives in itself a great learning experience.
Surely there are other types and I will be very happy to improve my list with your sharing your knowledge on this. Your feedback /comments will be really valuable.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Role of the academic guide in Student Project/dissertation - MBA
Most professors will find this really very basic, however, young teachers who are guiding students for the first time will get some orientation is what I hope! Do send your feedback
Monday, July 4, 2016
Flavours of one Cuisine and Presentation of another....fusion or modernisation?
The Uthly is a new offering from the restaurant chain UpSouth. It is a nice combination of a couple of mini-uthappams, iceberg lettuce, a vegetable cutlet and maybe a slice of idli dipped in molagai podi and oil. It is being presented and sold much like a burger. It is not exactly fusion as all the ingredients and preparations are part of authentic South Indian cuisine. I am not sure if there is any name for this type of adaptation in how food is sold. UpSouth has chosen the presentation really close to the burger, including butter-paper wrapping, size/shape, lettuce, and ketchup sachets instead of any Chutney. We loved the taste even if it was not delivered 'fast' as in fast food!
It is Vegetarian for sure. My guess it is Vegan and Gluten free too!
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Vijayapura ( formally Bijapur) Womens University Commerce & Management teachers Association - My workshop on 'Best Practices in Higher Education - Role of Commerce and Management Teachers
Some pictures from the event and my Presentation. The whole talk hopefully sometime soon!  |
| Hon'ble Vice Chancellor inaugurated the workshop |
 |
| Over dressed? |
 |
| Native honouring ceremony with Shawl, a bowl of fruits and flowers....Many thanks to the Organisers! |
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